Are AR and VR the future of e-Commerce?

Immersive Technologies: Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality

The evolution of technology has been revolutionizing the way people interact, and the advancement of immersive technologies - AR and VR - is a powerful example of technological innovation due to their enormous potential to transform the customer experience and the fact that they are shaping human interaction with the digital world, opening up new applications in different business areas, including e-Commerce.

Currently, it is possible to see the adoption of these immersive technologies by companies in different business areas, such as online stores of glasses or makeup in which the user has the possibility to check how the product looks before making the actual purchase.

As the platforms evolve, there is also a change in the way people express themselves, connect and interact with each other, the brands and their products.

Using Augmented Reality in e-Commerce

When it comes to e-Commerce, Augmented Reality can transform the customer experience because through AR it becomes possible to add virtual elements to the physical environment to provide a better visual perception of how an item fits into a physical space, such as a piece of furniture in a house, or it can also be used to try on clothes even before the purchase is made. This is a way to improve the customer experience, increase satisfaction, and reduce the number of product returns.

In order to create an engaging shopping experience, AR can also be used to provide additional information about products, such as pointing the cell phone camera at a particular product and getting details about its features, other people's reviews or recommendations, giving the customer the opportunity to make a more informed purchase.

Using Virtual Reality in e-commerce

On the other hand, Virtual Reality offers a different opportunity than Augmented Reality because it allows consumers the opportunity to explore stores and experience products in a virtual way, as if they were actually physically present in the physical space.

In this sense, the use of VR transcends the limitations of 'traditional' online stores, where products are usually presented in images.

Another example of the use of VR in e-Commerce, which is innovative and helps to improve the real person's perception of products, is the creation of interactive experiences such as virtual clothes fitting rooms where customers can create their own avatar and try on different pieces.

The role of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality for the Metaverse

The Metaverse refers to the term that indicates a virtual space that replicates reality through digital devices, consisting of the combination of technologies such as AR, VR, 5G, Blockchain and IoT, where users can create their own avatar to interact with other users and objects, as well as, being that it is an expansive universe, they can enjoy various experiences and activities.

Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality play a crucial role in the constitution of the Metaverse as both AR and VR help build and enhance the Metaverse by creating an increasingly refined immersive and interactive experience. And as the Metaverse evolves, these immersive technologies will continue to play an important role in its expansion and widespread adoption by people.

 Will AR and VR be the future of e-commerce?

As the technology evolves and becomes more accessible, there is potential for both augmented reality and virtual reality to be increasingly used in e-commerce across different industries, in the sense that they are an evolution that allows the customer experience to become more engaging and personalized.

Despite the existing adoption in some business areas and its enormous potential, there are still some challenges and mass adoption will always depend on several factors - costs, accessibility and acceptance by consumers.